Abstract

Postoperative pain has negative consequences on patients’ outcomes after cardiac surgery. Routine management with opioid and or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications has several disadvantages. Opioids have several undesirable side effects, including nausea, vomiting, decreased gastrointestinal motility, respiratory depression, drowsiness, and hemodynamic effect with large doses. Moreover, non-opioids analgesics, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen, may be a useful complement to opioids for postoperative pain relief. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a highly selective α2 receptor agonist that provides better sedation, analgesic, and anxiolytic effect. This property is considered unique among sedatives used for intensive care units generally.

Description